When you’re putting the time, effort, and money into doing a photoshoot, you’ll want everything to be perfect. From the lighting to the outfits, every choice that’s made needs to ensure that your photos come out flawless. One of the most important aspects of any shoot, no matter what they’re for, is the makeup.

Cameras don’t always capture photos with the same vibrancy as they appear in real life. Colors can appear duller, and your natural contours will seem almost invisible. Since the lighting in a studio can be almost blinding and comes from many different angles, it will bounce off your makeup in such a way that will make it seem much subtler than it originally was.

Because of all of this, you’ll need to make sure that your makeup is ready for the camera. It needs to be bold and dramatic, the kind of makeup that you would never dream of wearing outside.

Although many people choose to hire a professional makeup artist to help them, others find that this isn’t the option for them. So, for those of you who’d rather go the DIY route, we’re going to show you how to apply your makeup so that you can look your best in your photos.

1. Blending Your Makeup into Your Chest

Of course, you’ll want to start by priming your face with both a moisturizer and a primer before moving onto foundation, concealer, and contour. However, you shouldn’t just stop at the face. When prepping for a photoshoot, you should also take your makeup down to your chest as well.

The reason that you need to do this is, once again, because of the lighting. Although you’d probably look like a crazy person if you went about your everyday business with foundation down your neck and décolletage, the opposite is true for photoshoots. Without it, your face may look great, but the rest of you will look washed out, flat, and out of tune with your face.

To ensure that you look as good as possible in your photos, blend a small amount of your primer and foundation down your neck, to your chest, and even on your shoulders if you feel that it’s necessary. Along with that, you can also contour and highlight that natural curves of your body, such as the collarbones, so that they will still look defined in your photographs.

2. Darkening Light Eyebrows

Out in the real world, there’s nothing wrong with having fair eyebrows. In photos, however, they can cause a bit of trouble. Since the lights in a studio are so bright, they can cause blonde or light-colored eyebrows to appear non-existent in photos.

If you have light eyebrows, it’s advisable that you apply an eyebrow pencil or powder that’s about two to three shades darker than they are naturally. If you go any lighter than this, your brows won’t be clearly visible, and if you go any darker, you may look like you drew them on with a marker.

As for which product you use, it’s up to you. You can go for a pencil, a gel, a powder, or even a mix of products. Just make sure that they’re not too heavy, and that they’re lighter closer to the center and darker closer to the outer corners. This will give them a much more natural look.

3. Making Sure Your Eyes Pop

The eyes are key when doing a photoshoot. As people often say, they’re the window to the soul, and they’re usually the first thing that people notice in a photograph. As we mentioned previously, you’ll want to make them more vibrant and dramatic so that they’ll stand out in your photos. Just make sure not to put so much eyeshadow on that you start to look like a drag queen, unless that’s the look you’re aiming for.

It’s best that you use three different shades of eyeshadow, even if the colors that you’re using are neutrals or nudes. This will create depth and make the eyes seem bigger and more defined. Use the middle shade on the lids and on the upper brow bones. Apply the lighter color just under the eyebrows and at the inner corner of the eyes, and sweep the darkest color across the crease of your eye.

One of the most important steps with eye makeup is blending. Make sure to blend all of your eyeshadow together with a fluffy brush to make sure that it looks flawless. After that, you can then apply eyeliner and black mascara. If you’re feeling brave, you can even add some false lashes. But if you’ve never used them before, your photoshoot wouldn’t be the best time to try it out.

4. Contouring and Highlighting Your Skin

If you want to make sure that you look your absolute best in your photos, you need to contour and highlight your face. This will make you look more defined, angular, and altogether better. For this, you can use either cream or powder contour and highlight. If, however, you’re still not comfortable with this makeup technique, stick to powder since you can start light and build up pigment until you reach your desired look.

To start, find a contouring color that’s a few shades darker than your foundation. Sweep it across the natural contours of your face, as well as areas you’d like to appear small, such as under the cheekbones, the jawline, by the hairline, and at the sides of the nose.

Your highlight should be a few shades lighter than your foundation. You can apply that to areas such as the bridge of the nose, under the eyes, and on top of the cheekbones. Along with your face, you can also contour and highlight your chest to make your whole look appear more natural.

Getting Ready for Your Photoshoot

Since you’ll be putting a lot of time into making sure your makeup is perfect, you’ll want to make sure it stays that way too. To do that, use a setting powder and setting spray so that it stays on for as long as possible. Since the lights in the studio can sometimes be quite hot, it’s a good idea to bring some makeup with you. That way, you’ll be able to touch up anything that needs it without having to rush home first.

Now that you know how to get your makeup camera-ready, you’re all set to organize your photoshoot. To get you started, get in touch with Studio M with any questions that you may have. As one of the most renowned photography studies in Michigan with over three decades of experience, we can answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Once you’re ready to schedule your photoshoot with us, you can give us a call or send us a message through our contact form. And if you’ve decided that doing your own makeup for your shoot is a little bit too complicated, then don’t worry, because we work closely with some fantastic professional makeup artists that can help you out. Just let us know that you want makeup service, and we’ll arrange it!

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Marvin Hall is a Lansing-based photographer, family man, and former manufacturing employee. For over 30 years, Marvin has been helping people in the Lansing area and beyond create extraordinary, lasting memories that they will cherish for years to come.